Concerns and questions are being asked after a freedom of information request revealed that Labour-run Ealing Council has said that it would be looking to spend £182,268 on King Charles III coronation celebrations.
Included in the costs was an open air event in Walpole Park on Saturday (6 May 2023) where music and entertainment along with a screening of the Coronation took place in the rain.
Council leader Councillor Peter Mason tweeted on Coronation day to encourage people to turn up: “Come join us! Bring a brolly. It wouldn’t be a British event without the rain.”
The telly is on in Walpole Park and I’m watching the #Coronation with the great people of Ealing.
There’ll be music all day and fireworks.
Come join us! Bring a brolly.
It wouldn’t be a British event without the rain. ☂️🇬🇧👑🎉🎇 pic.twitter.com/WcKHFknIBG— Peter Mason (@_petermason) May 6, 2023
According to openDemocracy, which wrote to councils across the country, of those who responded, Ealing has emerged as the biggest spender.
As well as the open air events, Ealing Council has spent money on bunting across the borough and also gave a contribution of £150 to between 180 and 190 street parties that took place.
Last December, the council revealed it was facing a £5m deficit and would need to make at least £2m of savings from its budget in services offered to residents.
openDemocracy revealed: “Out of 317 authorities, 286 replied and 160 said they were planning some spending to mark the occasion. On average, councils are planning to spend more than £13,000 with 26 shelling out more than £50,000 each.”
Ealing with planning to spend £182,268 was the biggest spender of those who replied.
Nearby borough Brent said it would be spending £16,064, Harrow was £8,650, Hammersmith & Fulham was £51,240 and Richmond upon Thames was £150,000.
openDemocracy findings also found that one council spent money directly on helping people with the cost of living crisis. Eastleigh Borough Council said it was planning to spend £1,600 to provide 400 free meals on Coronation day.
In a tweet, Ealing Green Party raised its concerns: “Just 5 months ago, Ealing Council said it planned to make £2mil of savings from its budget for public services – during a cost of living crisis. Yet they spent over £180k of taxpayer money – more than any other council – on poorly attended big screen events for the Coronation.”
Just 5 months ago, Ealing Council said it planned to make £2mil of savings from its budget for public services – during a cost of living crisis.
Yet they spent over £180k of taxpayer money – more than any other council – on poorly attended big screen events for the Coronation. pic.twitter.com/XRAo0PHHbg
— Ealing Green Party (@EalingGreens) May 8, 2023
They added: “Not enough money for the hundreds of people sleeping rough in Ealing but enough to waste on big screen events that hardly anyone attended in the rain? The Council have shown exactly where their priorities lie.”
One resident in West Ealing told EALING.NEWS: “How can Ealing Council and its leader Peter Mason justify such huge costs when we are living in a cost of living crisis. What exactly did they spend the money on to reach such high costs?”
EALING.NEWS has reached out to Ealing Council for a comment along with full details of the costs of all events for the Coronation across Ealing.
